


The things I should have done

by LittleMissKnowItAll



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bad with feelings, Boys In Love, Declarations Of Love, Episode Related, Feelings, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstanding, Post Richonne and Hilltop scene, Season 6 Episode 10, Season 6 episode 11, Yes Really, bad with words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-02
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-28 16:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8453944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissKnowItAll/pseuds/LittleMissKnowItAll
Summary: Set after episode 6.11 Daryl grows more distant after their road trip and Rick is determined to find out what's wrong. But talking about feelings with a Dixon is never an easy feat, especially when that Dixon seems to be holding a grudge against you specifically...





	1. The end...or the beginning?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!
> 
> I feel the need to share that I'm a happy Richonne, Rickyl and Desus/Darus shipper, I just want my babies to be happy. So please don't interpret this as being against my badass baby Michonne, I just couldn't get this idea of an annoyed Daryl out of my head and it turned into this so, yeah. 
> 
> I'd also like to formally apologize for trying to write Daryl's accent into the story, I just wanted to try it out ;) 
> 
> Hope you like it, enjoy!
> 
> Please leave some kudos and a comment, I'd love to talk to you ;)

Rick noticed the change right away, the way Daryl would separate himself from the group again, from his family, from Rick. He looked annoyed more often than normal, staying quieter than ever before. Rick knew the reason, thought it had been obvious. What he didn’t know was why the bearded man had this effect on Daryl, why meeting the stranger from Hilltop resulted in Daryl disappearing into the woods again, alone and annoyed. 

They were preparing for the big breakout/Negan takedown, all busy checking things like the camper, supplies and weapons. All except for Daryl. 

Rick had seen the hunter at breakfast, meaning he was sitting in the kitchen when Daryl came in and was still sitting there when Daryl left not a minute later with a granola bar and a scowl. 

Normally, Rick would give Daryl his space, but he just couldn’t this time. He didn’t know why the grumpiness bothered him this much, but he knew they would need to be on the same page tomorrow so it was best to check on the hunter before they left. And with that, he meant right now.

Asking around, he quickly learned that Daryl was in Aaron’s garage working on his bike. Nodding his thanks, he turned around and started to walk away when Aaron spoke again, “Rick?” 

Turning back around, he saw Aaron lick his lips nervously. “I uhm, I don’t mean to interfere but is everything okay? I mean, I know I haven’t known you guys for long, but I just, I’ve never seen Daryl… Eric’s worried about him and I had to promise to tell you so yeah, this is me telling you” He finished awkwardly, crossing his arms and bowing his head slightly. 

“Thanks”, Rick responded, nodding as he focussed his eyes on everything but Aaron. “I mean that, thank you. Tell Eric I appreciate the concern”, he said, focussing back on Aaron’s face. “I just, I don’t have an answer yet...”

“Yeah, I can see that”, Aaron said, something weird in his voice as he studied Rick’s face. “I’ll see ya later, yeah?”, he finished, motioning towards the camper as if indicating he was going back to his chore, giving Rick his way out. Smiling thankfully, Rick nodded as he set off towards Aaron and Eric’s house. 

Daryl always left the garage wide open on sunny days and luckily, today was no different. 

Getting closer to the house, Rick could see Daryl’s shoulders tense as the hunter noticed him. 

“Hey”, Rick said lamely, unsure of how to bring up…well, anything when Daryl was in a foul mood. Let alone the subject of feelings. 

“Hey”, Daryl grunted back without looking up. He was working on something small on the side of the motor, his hands moving swiftly as if on autopilot. Rick wondered for a second if Daryl would be able to do this stuff blindfolded, before he caught himself thinking about Daryl blindfolded in other…situations. The way Daryl’s arms kept flexing at his actions didn’t help with keeping Rick’s thoughts in line either. 

“Got a minute?” Rick said, coughing uncomfortably as he tried to get his mind out of the gutter. 

“What’dya need?” He sounded annoyed, something Rick wasn’t used to anymore if he was being honest. Sure, Daryl had a habit of sounding annoyed or grump, but never when it was just the two on them, never when it was directed at Rick. But as those blue eyes finally focussed on his, he decided to let the hurt feeling go. 

“Just wanted to talk. We’ve all had a busy few days, haven’t really had time to catch our breath, let alone catch up, you know” Rick said, growing more uncomfortable by the minute. It wasn’t that he wasn’t good with feelings, he just wasn’t good with feelings in relation to Daryl. What made it worse was that Daryl was now fully focused on him, having put down his tools somewhere along the way. As Rick felt a blush creep up his neck at the extended silence, Daryl smiled mirthlessly as he shook his head. 

“This where ya tell me ‘bout you and Michonne? ‘Cause I think Jesus ruined that surprise for ya”, Daryl bit back, the anger in his voice thinly veiled. And okay, that was not the direction Rick had expected this conversation to go in. At least, not completely. There was a mention of Jesus in there, so he hadn’t been completely wrong…right? But it was the anger in the hunter’s voice that caught him off guard. 

“I…No, no”, he muttered, rubbing a hand down his face as he tried to make sense of the situation. Taking a deep breath, he focussed his eyes on the hunter’s as he leaned back against a wall. “What’s going on Daryl?”

But Daryl just shook his head, huffing out a breath before bending down to pick his tools back up. “I’ve got work to do”

At this, Rick almost leapt away from the wall. He didn’t know what was going on, whether it was his fault or Jesus’s or anybody else, but he was here to find out and he would not leave without at least some form of an answer. 

Stepping closer, Rick put his hands on the bike. “Daryl”, he said softly. Nothing. “Daryl, come on” 

“I’ll see ya at home, okay”, Daryl responded after a while, sparing Rick a glance before returning to his work. And that was that. Now normally, Rick wouldn’t give up this easily, he had a teenage son so he knew attitude. But this was different, this was Daryl, his best friend, his family, his brother. All they used to need was a glance, a word and they’d know what the other was thinking. But over the past couple of days, Daryl had given him numerous glances, had said dozens of words…and still, Rick had no clue what was going on inside the hunter’s head. So he nodded, before walking away. He’d lost this round. 

***

He’d come home to a house filled with people making plans for the next day, both those going after Negan and those staying behind in Alexandria, which had been a welcome distraction. But as the sun began to set, the house grew quiet, everyone going home to enjoy their evening and prepare for the following day. 

Rick knew he needed some sleep too, as both Michonne and Carl had told him when they’d made their way upstairs, but he also knew he couldn’t, not yet. So he stayed downstairs, pacing, waiting. It wasn’t long before he heard those familiar footsteps on the porch, the quiet click as Daryl opened the door and stepped inside. 

Closing the door behind him, quiet as a mouse, Daryl turned around. Looking into the dark living room, his eyes suddenly locked with Rick’s. Under any other circumstance, the situation would have cracked Rick up as Daryl looked like a kid coming home way past his curfew, eyes wide, feet frozen in place. 

“We need to talk” Rick stated simply, yet firmly, stepping slightly closer to the hunter. He expected Daryl to come up with an excuse, expecting him to say something like “I’m tired” while both men knew Daryl didn’t go to sleep until well past midnight. A force of habit from their time outside, waiting for everyone but the person on watch to fall asleep before him. 

Yet much to his surprise, Daryl nodded, a clear slump in his shoulders. He looked slightly defeated, a look that didn’t suit him at all. Walking past Daryl towards the kitchen, Rick could see other emotions rushing over the hunter’s face, emotions resembling anger and…fear? Turning on a soft light in the corner of the kitchen, he turned and motioned for Daryl to follow him. Finally, at last, the other man moved. 

Rick was sitting by the time Daryl actually walked into the kitchen, eyes anywhere but on Rick. He sat down in a chair opposite him, putting some distance between them before slowly looking up. 

Rick knew it was his turn to act, his turn to say something. After all, he’d been the one who said they needed to talk. So why was it so hard for him to open his mouth? 

Daryl started tapping his foot on the ground, growing more uncomfortable and restless by the minute. His eyes were focussed on the floor, the rest of his body rigid, as if ready for a fight. 

“I’m worried…about you” Rick finally said, his voice soft and unsure. He hated the way he sounded, hated the lame sentence even more but he’d said it, he couldn’t take it back now and he just had to make the best out of it. So he sat up straighter, focussing his eyes on Daryl’s, waiting for a response. 

“Nothin’ to be worried ‘bout” Daryl responded. He moved a bit and Rick wasn’t sure if it was because he felt uncomfortable or because he wanted to get up and leave. 

“Daryl, please”, and okay, Rick was not a pleading man but there was just something about the way Daryl was behaving that made him desperate. Hell, he’d felt more warmth coming of the hunter when they first met. And that was saying a lot. “Talk to me”

“Why?” Daryl responded after a long pause, throwing his hands up slightly in frustration, “What d’ya want me to say?”

“I want you to tell me what’s wrong!” Rick said, his voice louder than either man expected. Daryl moved back slightly, his eyes no more than thin slits, focussed on Rick’s face. Taking a deep breath, Rick continued, “I need you to be with me tomorrow, all of you. So just tell me what’s going on, so we can see what to do about it”

And Daryl just laughed a harsh, cold laugh, his eyes closed as he threw his head back. As the laughing quieted down, he bent his head forwards again, shaking it slightly before focusing back on Rick. The other man was staring at him, a look of concern and confusion clear on his face. Daryl hated him for it. 

“I’m gon’be there tomorrow, isn’t that enough?” Daryl asked in a voice didn’t recognize nor like. 

Bending forward slightly, Rick bit his lips slightly before opening his mouth. As a soft “Dare” slipped out, he could see Daryl’s shoulders tense up, his eyes opening wide, a raging fire behind them. 

“Don’t”, he spit out, hating the way Rick said his name. He’d fallen for that trick before, so many times. Rick was the only one who called him ‘Dare’, a nickname Daryl had always hated until he met Rick. Rick was also the only one who abused his right to use that nickname, paring it with big blue eyes and a shitty request, knowing Daryl wouldn’t be able to say no. And Daryl was done, he’d had enough. He wouldn’t fall for those tricks again, wouldn’t fall for the care and concern the leader of their group so easily abused. “I’m done with this”, he pointed between the two of them, “this friendship, this partnership. I’m coming along tomorrow, will follow your lead, but that’s it…Grimes” With that, he got up and walked out. Rick would have followed him, would have if he could have. But he was too stunned, frozen in his chair, staring after the man that had just broken him with those few words and those blazing eyes. He hadn’t just lost a friend, a brother, he’d lost the ground beneath his feet. 

He doesn’t even know how long he sits there in the dimly lit kitchen, thinking about everything the hunter had said. Especially the way Daryl’d spit out the word ‘Grimes’ as if the name alone tasted dirty in his mouth. Rick put his head in his hands, letting all his emotions wash over him. In the end, he was just left with confusion and disbelief. What the hell had he done to make Daryl this angry?


	2. Definitely a beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!   
> Thank you so much for reading this fic, I hope you enjoyed the first part...and I reeeeeeally hope you'll like this second part ;) 
> 
> Please leave some kudos and a comment if you do, I'd love to hear from you!   
> Also, I'm always open to new ideas so feel free to make requests and I'll see what I can do :)

It had been a successful bloodbath and although they’d almost lost Maggie and Carol, in the end they had been victorious. Yet Rick hadn’t been able to enjoy it to its fullest. Sure, it had been great seeing the two women, his two family members, safe and sound. But there was something off about the situation for him, not being able to share it with his right hand man. 

He’d seen the way Daryl’d fussed over Carol when they were all finally reunited back there and although that was nothing new, those two had always been incredibly close, it hurt Rick more than he’d expected. What hurt even more was the fact that outside of their mission, Daryl hadn’t looked at him once. He’d never really known how much he craved the other man’s attention, his touches, his presence, until now. He has to laugh at himself for being such a cliché, all that “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” crap running through his head as he sinks into his bed that night. But sleep doesn’t come. And so after a few hours, Rick gives up and goes downstairs in simple sweats and a shirt. The house is dark and quiet, the night cool but not unpleasant as he steps out onto the porch. Unsure of what to do next, he sits down on the front steps, looking up at the sky. The stars are bright and numerous, shining softly next to the pale moon. 

Rick leans back on his elbows, getting comfortable, as he tries to find the constellations Daryl’d taught him whenever they were on watch together. He’s unsuccessful, both in his search of constellations and in thinking that this activity could distract him from thinking about the hunter. 

He closes his eyes for a moment, enjoying the quiet evening. He never expected they’d feel this safe ever again, this at home in an actual house, an actual village, with actual neighbours and…

His thoughts skid to a halt when he hears a soft creaking noise behind him. Sitting up straight, Rick opens his eyes as he turns around, ready to jump whoever and whatever’s there. As he sees the figure in the open door, he likes to take that ‘jumping them’ thought back. Well…maybe not.

“Oh” Daryl says sheepishly, once again frozen at the front door. 

“Hey” Rick says, his heart beating faster. He tells himself it’s from the adrenaline, the fear of someone sneaking up on him. But he knows he’s lying to himself, knows it’s because of the scruffy looking hunter who’s still staring at him. And yes, yes finally, the hunter is looking at him again. And if he’s being honest, he will take that ‘oh’ as an actual conversation. Damn, he’s got it bad. “Couldn’t sleep?”

Closing the door behind him, Daryl takes a step forward, closer to the steps yet far enough to make a run for it. Rick notices the way Daryl’s eyes look around, looking for both a quick exit and nosy spectators. Feeling brave, Rick pats the space next to him. 

It takes Daryl a moment to move, to take a deep breath before sitting down next to his leader. “Yeah” He says softly, a sound between a breath and a whisper as he looks out over the dark street. 

They sit in silence for a minute, Rick doing his best to focus his eyes on the sky again but failing miserably, Daryl staring straight ahead. Rick’s not even sure Daryl’s looking at anything in particular, seeming too deep in thought.

Clearing his throat, Rick finally breaks the silence. “I’m sorry…”

Taking his eyes of the street, Daryl turns towards him slightly. The movement is almost undetectable and a random person wouldn’t have noticed the shift but Rick noticed, of course he noticed. “For what?”

Rick hangs his head. “I don’t know. Everything, I guess” Looking up at the hunter again, Rick tilts his head slightly. “What did I do Daryl? How did I mess this up?” At the words ‘this’, Rick waves his hand between the two men, a vague gesture with a lot of meaning behind it. In his mind, at least. 

Daryl had used the gesture not too long ago himself, yet seemed annoyed by Rick’s use of it. “This?” he said loudly, before physically reacting to the anger in his own voice by ducking down a bit. “What the hell d’ya mean by ‘this’?, he finished, softer now. 

And that’s it, Rick can’t take it anymore. He needs answers and he needs them now. Turning towards Daryl, he feels the intense need to put his hand on the other man’s arm, shoulder, cheek… Stopping himself just in time, he runs the hand through his own hair instead. “Please, just answer the question Daryl. I need to know. I bet you have every right to be angry at me, but I just….I need to know why…” 

Rick’s defeated, a poor excuse for a leader in this moment, slumped against the steps. He feels his heart constricting and his eyes burning as he tries to keep his composure, what’s left of it anyway. 

“You’d think that with a world gone to shit, walkers an’ death on every corner, there’d be something else on people’s minds than hooking up” Daryl says, taking the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. Lighting one, he puts it in his mouth as he stands up and walks down the stairs. He paces in front of the steps for a little while before stopping in front of Rick, looking down at him expectantly. 

Rick gets it, gets that it’s meant as a dig at him. A cold judgement on his love life after Lori, like his affair with Jessie and his current….relations with Michonne. Closing his eyes, he nods softly before opening them again and searching Daryl’s face. “Is it Michonne?”, he asks finally. 

And Daryl lets out a laugh, an actual laugh before shaking his head, a cold look on his face. “God, yer such an idiot sometimes, ya know that?”

Although it’s said harshly, Rick isn’t offended by the words. The hunter is clearly upset about something and he’s finally getting to the core of it all. His bruised ego is the least of his worries right now. “Enlighten me” he offers. 

Daryl shakes his head, a painful smile on his face, the burning cigarette forgotten in the corner of his mouth. Running a hand through his hair, his eyes lock with Rick’s. “You want me ta say it? Fine, it’s not Michonne. She’s part of the problem though”

And Rick can see the moment Daryl decides to shut up, to close his mouth and keep this secret in forever. Getting up to block Daryl, he sees the other man throw him a frustrated glance as he takes the cigarette out of his mouth. “Enough girl talk, I’m going back ta bed” Daryl tries, but Rick doesn’t budge. 

Annoyed, he drops the cigarette, stepping on it before looking back towards Rick. As he puts his foot on the first step, Rick opens his mouth. “Daryl”, he says and it sounds like a warning. 

“What? Ya got your answer, didn’t ya?” Daryl says, throwing his hands up in frustration. 

“No” Rick responds firmly, “no I didn’t. And I’ve had enough of this dancing around the subject… Tell me what you mean by ‘part of the problem’.

Daryl pushes him, actually puts his hands on Rick’s shoulders and shoves him backwards. It works and although Rick doesn’t fall, he’s distracted for a second. Daryl’s on the porch now, only a few steps from the door. He only needs about three more steps and…

He feels Rick’s hand on his arm, holding him in place. He tugs on it but instead of creating distance, it just makes Rick step closer. Tightening his grip on Daryl’s arm, Rick moves to stand in front of the hunter, forcing Daryl to look at him. “Am I the problem?”

But Daryl stays quiet. So he says it again, more firmly this time as his eyes beg Daryl to respond. “Am I the problem, Daryl?”

In a flash of movement, Daryl shakes Rick’s hand of his arm and pushes Rick backwards until he’s up against the wall next to the front door. They’re close now, Rick feeling Daryl’s breath on his face as he tries to make sense of the situation. Which is quite a hard thing to do when his mind won’t stop thinking about the closeness of the hunter’s body. 

So he decides to just give up, give in and pray to god Daryl doesn’t kill him for it. 

Leaning forward as far as possible, he brushes his lips over Daryl’s, who still seems too shocked by his own actions to notice Rick moving at all. As expected, Daryl doesn’t respond and Rick slumps back against the wall. He sighs, bowing his head, waiting for the punch that’ll inevitably follow his stupid action. How could he even think that Daryl had meant this, had wanted him…like that. 

But the punch never comes, nor does an angry shout or even a string of profanities. What follows is the sound of Daryl taking a deep breath, of Daryl letting go of Rick’s shoulders. Of Daryl stepping backwards. Looking back up, Rick sees the hunter putting a hand to his mouth, his eyes sad as his fingers softly touch the violated area. 

“Sorry” Rick says quickly, “I shouldn’t have. I…”

“Why?” Daryl says suddenly, voice laced with hurt. It’s difficult for Rick to look at him now, the sad look on his face unfamiliar to the leader. ‘I did that’ keeps running through his head and if he could, he would sucker punch himself for it. 

“Honestly? Because I was tired” Rick answers and it’s the truth. He’s tired of dancing around the hunter, of dancing around these feelings that have been there since day one, tired of ignoring the way his infatuation had turned into a crush which had turned into an aching and undeniable love for the other man. 

But of course, Daryl misunderstands. Angry, he spits back. “What, y’thought I was Michonne or somethin?” And Rick can’t really blame him, he hadn’t given the hunter a lot to work with. 

Stepping closer, the fear of getting punched growing again, Rick smiles softly, eyes staring at something just over Daryl’s shoulder. “I should’ve kissed you that day. God, I should’ve just done it”

And whatever Rick’s trying is working as Daryl’s anger makes room for confusion as he stares at the other man. He doesn’t say anything yet, but Rick takes it as a win anyway as he continues to bare his heart, “It was pure agony, you know. Just the two of us in that car. I think I even felt thankful when Jesus showed up. Until I saw the way you looked at him, of course…” Rick chuckles. 

Daryl’s confusion just seems to grow as he opens his mouth, no doubt to respond to Rick’s mention of Jesus. But Rick just puts up a hand and Daryl’s mouth snaps shut again. “I’d planned on doing it that day…” Rick says, eyes locked with Daryl’s, “Had planned it all out in my head as soon as I knew we’d be going on a run together, just the two of us. But out there, I don’t know, I just got cold feet. The fear of rejection, of losing you at my side, won out… and I fucked it all up. I’m sorry” he finishes and yes, this time he does know what he’s sorry for. 

Daryl’s still staring at him, a weird look on his face. The confusion is gone and Rick’s thankful for that. “Why?” Daryl asks softly, a popular question on this dark evening. 

“Why Michonne?”, Rick responds, knowing what Daryl meant just by looking at him, “She’s a good friend, a close friend, and we both needed the distraction. I won’t say it meant nothing”, he says, biting his lip, “it just didn’t mean what you think it meant. For both of us” 

“You sure ‘bout that?” And he can see something shift in Daryl, just slightly.

“Yeah, we uhm, we talked about it. I’m sure”, Rick says as a sad look crosses his face, “I’m just sorry I messed everything up. If I’d known… I know that’s not an excuse, I just… I just need to know, would I have had a chance before? With you?”

“Does it matter?” Daryl responds, sitting down on the railing. “What’s done is done”

His face is unreadable now, though Rick could swear he saw a glimmer of a smirk. He lets the thought go, writes it off on wishful thinking as he, once again, steps closer to Daryl. “Yeah, I guess you’re right”, he says softly. He’s standing in front of Daryl, his shoulders slumped as he looks at the floor. Stepping aside, he sits on the railing too as he lets out a humourless laugh, “Guess I should let you get back to bed now…”

And Daryl moves. But instead of standing up, he turns his body slightly to look at the sky, the stars still shimmering brightly in the darkness. “Remember any of the constellations I taught ya?” he asks suddenly, turning back towards Rick, his voice uncharacteristically upbeat. Rick just shakes his head, his face filled with sadness. “Guess we should schedule in another lesson soon then” Daryl continues and Rick just looks at him, confusion clear on his face. Who is this guy and what has he done with Daryl Dixon? Rick’s head’s still spinning from all of the declarations of the past hour, but Daryl seems to be handling them all just fine. A bit too fine. Turning slightly to look at the sky too, he can hear Daryl chuckle softly. Looking back, he’s shocked by the intensity of Daryl’s stare, but even more shocked by the smile on the hunter’s face. “Didn’t even know I was flirting with ya ‘til Carol called me out on it. Actually scared me for a second. Didn’t stop me though”, he laughs again. Slowly but surely, Rick begins to understand what’s going on. Sadly, he also begins to understand that yes, he would have had a chance at happiness with the hunter if he hadn’t made his mistakes. 

He looks up surprised when Daryl starts talking again, voice barely more than a whisper. “World was going ta shit, everybody around us dying ‘nd there I was, looking forward to being on watch with you so I could show ya the stars. Never knew I’d be such a cliché. Still am” Another smile. 

Rick is stunned, staring at the hunter with wide eyes as it dawns on him that Daryl just confessed his feelings for him, to him. And judging from Daryl’s hopeful look, it’s his turn to make a move. So he looks out at the sky again and points to a random star. “So, is that the North Star or…”

Before he has time to finish the sentence, Daryl puts a hand on the back of Rick’s neck and pulls him closer. “Might need more than one lesson”, he whispers before crushing their mouths together. 

The kiss is hungry and passionate and absolutely perfect. Daryl’s hand softly stroking the back of Rick’s head and neck as Rick’s hands start grabbing at Daryl’s waist. He needs the hunter closer, needs to know this is really happening, needs to put everything he feels into the kiss. 

Judging from Daryl’s soft smile against his lips, he’s successful. They don’t know how long they sit there, kissing, smiling and looking at the sky as the sun slowly starts to rise. Daryl’s the first to crack, pushing away from Rick as the early sunlight starts lighting up the rest of Alexandria. Rick doesn’t mind the sudden shift in closeness, knows Daryl isn’t a PDA type of person, especially seeing as he doesn’t consider the other Alexandrians as family just yet. So they just sit there, next to each other, watching the sunrise. It’s still quiet outside, which means they hear Carol coming down the stairs before they see her, Maggie not far behind. 

“Morning”, Carol smiles as she spots the two men. “You’re up early”, Maggie follows up. Rick smiles, nodding slightly, while Daryl grunts out a ‘Mornin’. Now, Rick doesn’t know if Maggie suspects anything, but if she does, she isn’t showing it. Carol on the other hand, is like an open book. He swears she even winked at Daryl at some point, before leading Maggie off of the porch and towards the gate. “Time to send Abraham and Sasha to bed. Enjoy the sunrise”, she smiles as they walk away. 

When the two women are finally out of earshot, Daryl turns towards Rick again. “Think she knows?” he asks shyly and Rick has to bow his head to keep from laughing out loud.

“Yeah”, he smiles when he finally calms down, “Yeah, I think she suspects something” Then, uncertainly, “Do you mind?”

Much to Rick’s surprise, Daryl just smiles, face hidden behind his long hair. “Nah. D’you?”

Rick just shakes his head, getting up from the railing. “Now come on, let’s put on some fresh clothes. Otherwise people are definitely gonna suspect something’s up”

And for the hundredth time that morning Rick is surprised by Daryl’s actions as the other man gets up and leans in for a quick kiss. “Yeah, let’s go”

Following Daryl inside, Rick sees Abraham and Sasha walk by as he goes to close the front door. Judging from their wide smiles and Abraham’s thumbs up directed at him, he has no doubt they saw what just happened. But he doesn’t mind, it’s not like they could hide this from their family for long anyway.


End file.
